SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS TO A MOVING WAYPOINT

• US 20080114528A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa Anne, Wojciechowski, Larissa Nicole
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint where the present position of the moving waypoint is known and its future movement is constrained by a road network. The most likely future route of the moving waypoint is predicted, a rendezvous point is determined, an intercept route through the road network is computed and turn-by-turn direction to follow this intercept route are generated.

Claims

1. A system for providing turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint comprising:

a first position determining system for determining the present geographic position of the moving waypoint and a transmitter configured to transmit the present geographic position;

a tracking vehicle including a second position determining system for determining the present geographic position of the tracking vehicle and a receiver configured to receive the present geographic position of the moving waypoint;

wherein future movement of both the moving waypoint and the tracking vehicle are constrained by a local road network; and

the tracking vehicle further includes

a map database containing the defined movement constraints of the local road network,

a position predicting module that applies the local road network movement constraints to present geographic position of the moving waypoint to generate a most likely next future position of the moving waypoint, and

a turn-by-turn direction generating module which generates turn-by-turn directions from the present position of the tracking vehicle to the most likely next future position of the moving waypoint.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second position determining systems are global positioning systems (GPS).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first position determining system is a cellular telephone network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter configured to transmit the present geographic position of the waypoint and the receiver are both equipped with security provisions to preclude unauthorized eavesdropping.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the security provisions comprise a shared digital code between the transmitter and receiver.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network system adapted to receive the present geographic position of the moving waypoint and to transmit this received position to a plurality of receivers where this plurality of receivers includes the receiver of the tracking vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the moving waypoint is a cooperating vehicle and the system further comprises:

a transmitter in the tracking vehicle configured to transmit the most likely next future position to the cooperating vehicle; and

a second turn-by-turn direction generating module which generates turn-by-turn directions from the present position of the cooperating vehicle to the most likely next future position.

8. A method for providing turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint that is movement constrained by a local road network comprising:

receiving a transmitted present position of a moving waypoint to a tracking vehicle;

predicting a most likely future route of the moving waypoint, based on its present position and movement constraints imposed by a local road network;

determining a rendezvous point and computing an intercept route between the tracking vehicle and the moving waypoint, where the rendezvous point and intercept route are based on the most likely future route of the moving waypoint, the present position of the tracking vehicle, and the constraints of the local road network;

generating turn-by-turn directions to follow the intercept route to the rendezvous point; and

providing the turn-by-turn directions to an operator of the tracking vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of computing the intercept route further computes this route such that the tracking vehicle intercepts the moving waypoint at the rendezvous point at a selective target approach angle.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the selective target approach angle is selected from a group consisting of:

a head-on approach, a right-angle approach at an intersection, and an approach from behind.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the rendezvous point is a location where vehicles may safely stop.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the tracking vehicle is pursuing the moving waypoint and the intercept route is relayed to traffic control systems configured to use the intercept route to further the movement of the pursuing tracking vehicle and to hinder the movement of the pursued moving waypoint.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the traffic control system furthers vehicle movement by strategically setting green lights along the intercept route and hinders vehicle movement by strategically setting red lights along the most likely future route of the moving waypoint.

14. A method for rendezvousing a first moving vehicle with a second moving vehicle where both vehicles are constrained by a local road network comprising:

determining the geographic position and speed of the first moving vehicle;

receiving a transmitted present geographic position and speed of the second moving vehicle;

determining a most likely future route of the second moving vehicle and the second vehicle'"'"'s most likely future speed profile along that route, based on its present position and present speed and the constraints of the local road network;

computing an intercept route, intercept speed plan, and rendezvous point based on the most likely future route and most likely future speed profile of the second moving vehicle, the geographic position and speed of first vehicle, and the constraints of the local road network; and

generating turn-by-turn directions and instructions on changing speeds to follow the intercept route to the rendezvous point.